Liturgy Reflection & Benediction 03.20.11

Liturgy

Our Father, in this season of Lent,
we remind ourselves of the sacrifice your Son made.

And yet, our hearts may be heavy with sins untold and cares unshared.
Our lives may be burdened with doubts unvoiced and fears unmentioned.

O God, who is greater than our hearts and deeper than our minds,
you are eternal and always longing for our response.

May we stretch out our hands and walk with you through the wilderness.
May we find the resolve to follow no other but Christ alone.

May we willingly follow with your Son, Jesus,
the One who carries our burdens to the cross

Where fear is transformed into love
And loneliness is transformed into communion with you.

We ask in the name of the Father,
of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Congregational Prayer

In this season of Lent, let us pray together as a community.

O God,
We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
the months of ministry transfigured into a beam of light,
the light of the world, your light.
God of salvation, may your light shine upon us.

We open our eyes and we see Moses and Elijah,
your word restoring us, showing us the way,
telling a story, your story, his story, and now, our story.
God of redemption, may your word speak life into us.

We open our eyes and we see a mist,
the cloud of your presence
which assures us of all we do not know
and that we do not need to fear that.
God of unending wisdom, teach us to trust.

We open our eyes and we see Peter’s constructions,
his best plans, our best plans,
our missing the point,
and our missing the way.
God of mercy, forgive our foolishness and sin.

We open our eyes and we see Jesus,
not casting us off,
but leading us down, leading us out –
to ministry, to people.
God of grace, your love endures forever.

We open our ears and we hear your voice, saying
‘This is my beloved Son, listen to him!’